Th explosion of the Internet has provided new business opportunities and markets for a broad spectrum of industries. The Internet provides unprecedented opportunities for businesses to reach customers by providing a website that describes a business's products or services. The appeal of the website often can influence purchase decisions by a consumer. The appeal is a measure of both the subject matter, the method of presentation and other intangible factors. If a website includes content that is appealing to a consumer, the consumer is more likely to purchase the services or products advertised. Advertising has long been used in other media forms in order to attract purchasers. The web is no different. The success of a product or service on-line is generally measured in sales. However, reasons for closing a sale vary. Some sales: will complete irrespective of the environment. Other customers may have to be convinced that the product or service is both valuable and necessary. The website can be a powerful tool in the persuasion process.
In addition, a website may be used to convey information, separate and apart from a sales environment. Success for an informational website may be measured in terms of the number of users that come to the website and the amount of time they stay. How long a user stays at a website can be influenced by the appeal of the website. Again, the appeal is a measure of both the content and the method of presentation.
In order to measure the appeal of a website, conventional webpage builders have numerous options. In some cases, a web page may include a request for feedback and provide users with an ability to send compliments and, more often, complaints back to the website sponsor. While these means are helpful, the information received may be biased or not representative of the general appeal of the website and therefore of little help to the website sponsor. Alternatively, a user may be asked to participate in a survey. Often, the surveys are long and unfocused. Just as with the feedback information, the information received can be biased or unreliable.